Cynthia Prairie

University of Maryland Regents backing proposed overhaul legislation; bill mandates governor to fund attorney general’s budget; bill would raise number of schools teaching about the environment to 50%; Del. Glenn returns with legislation to arm city school police officers; bill allowing gender “X’ option on Maryland driver’s licenses moves forward; Washington County lawmakers continue to push to ban medical marijuana in local jails; and in our latest installment of the Hogan Prez Watch, Gov. Hogan appears on CBS, siding with Attorney General Frosh on lawsuit against President Trump’s national emergency declaration over “exaggerated” claims on border problems.

Goucher Poll finds that Marylanders like Gov. Hogan as governor, but not so much as presidential candidate; African-Americans, whites sharply differ in viewing fairness from police, criminal justice system; more than 60 JHU faculty sign on to oppose armed campus police; Senate panel rejects nominees for Handgun Review Board as lawmakers struggle with its future; Sen. Ferguson proposes bill that would undercut Electoral College; delegate questions limiting Marylander hunters’ taking of geese; and Maryland joins 15 states in suing Trump administration over national emergency declaration.

New driver’s license requirement causes frustration, long lines at MVA; lawmakers weigh legislation on oyster management, sanctuaries; more doctors, patients push for marijuana as treatment for opioid addiction; new Goucher Poll finds Marylanders backing Democrats’ agenda, including legalization of recreation marijuana, minimum wage hike, doctor assisted suicide and raising tobacco-purchasing age to 21; Del. Lewis Young seeks study into high rates of C-sections; lacking votes, Del. Lierman pulls ranked choice voting bill; and Georgetown U. faces opposition to solar project that would clear cut 210 acres in Charles County.

House of Delegates OKs bill to set up fund to aid federal workers who live in Maryland and are forced to work without pay during a shutdown; state to focus on toll lanes in attempts to deal with highway congestion; full-day pre-school for low-income tikes among recommendations of Kirwan Commission report; state’s top judge wants end to elected circuit court judges; following Amazon’s snub of NYC, Gov. Hogan reopens communication with execs; Garrett schools recommend pre-Labor Day start to schools; student charged with illegal wiretapping after live-streaming at U.S. Rep. Harris’ office; former Howard Exec Ulman buys stake in online city news site; and in a no surprises here poll, vast majority of Marylanders like Old Bay.

Health care advocates, lawmakers rally support for bill to require all Marylanders to have health insurance or face a fine; Del. McKay, who pushed for Medicaid dental coverage, now seeks grant program to boost dental clinics; Arundel County seeks veto on siting of new Bay Bridge span, drawing resistance in Senate committee; Redskins owner’s purchase of $100 million yacht throws doubt on public funding of new stadium; audits find Maryland colleges lax when checking if students really qualify for in-state tuition; following shooting in city school, GOP lawmakers want to arm school police; bill would address complaints over noisy BWI flight patterns; and Hogan spokeswoman to join Republican Governors Association.

Party line vote as state Senate OKs giving school boards say on when school starts; Gov. Hogan continues to press ahead for Prince George’s-Western Maryland land swap, but without the Redskins stadium; bill would abolish Handgun Review Board, which overturns majority of State Police decisions; panel gives incumbent Nancy Kopp thumbs up for treasurer over two contenders; General Assembly to get workplace climate study; Harford County Exec Glassman gives boost to atempt to form statewide drug pricing panel; Speaker Busch honors slain Capital Gazette staffers; study finds Baltimore’s JFX has much higher crash rate than other state highways; and former gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous starts up investment firm in Baltimore.

Lawmakers hammer away at long-term solutions for school insfrastructure problems; Hogan bill reintroduced for public school “inspector general;” rockfish decline likely to trigger catch reductions; study finds taxes cut teen drinking, smoking, but advocates won’t seek more hikes; Treasurer Nancy Kopp to face three challengers for her seat; bill would create study panel into Maryland’s sordid history of lynching; opinionmakers seek transparency in state judiciary; and in the latest installment of the Hogan Prez Watch, Gov. Hogan appears on CNN and also offers up a nationally targeted commentary.

Proposal to hike Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 has businesses lining up on both sides of the issue; Sen. Pinsky defends attempts to overturn Gov. Hogan’s school start executive order, using comparisons to governors who blocked black children from school; bill would require congressional districts to be compact and respect geographic, local city and county boundaries; DLS suggests cutting Judiciary by $21 million; bill would raise judges’ mandatory retirement age to 73; Baltimore lawmakers seek to bring Pimlico owners into talks about its future; policy group Change Maryland Inc. formed; and Anne Arundel County considers banning polystyrene containers.

Gov. Hogan hits back at lawmakers, says he will submit bill to make school boards that want to start classes before Labor Day seek voter OK as Senate gives preliminary approval to bill allowing local school districts to decide; lawmakers hear of difficulties of Marylanders renewing licenses to comply with federal Real ID law; lawmakers tackle bill to give counties say over state proposals for toll roads; Senate unanimously passes tougher cyberbullying bill; Sen. West proposes allowing Baltimore County to impose developer impact fees; Howard bill would allow county to impose fee on plastic bags; and Vice President Pence to tour Port of Baltimore, get a close-up of high tech scanning for contraband.